Library Tweets
Our librarian held her first online storytelling session for Class Angel. ‘A Busy Day for Birds’ by #LucyCousins & ‘Happy in Our Skin’ by @FranManushkin – Full attention & enjoyment by students and staff. Well done Caroline! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/L34AaycNnc
— @charltonsch (@CharltonSch) September 25, 2020
Hear from the brilliant @MichaelRosenYes introducing his new book ‘The Missing’ about his family that were lost during #WW2 (This book is available in our library says our librarian @CazApr1) https://t.co/XjtcADUSSu #HolocaustMemorialDay
— @charltonsch (@CharltonSch) January 27, 2021
Even though our library has a ‘No Entry’ sign on the door, our librarian still gets her regular niche requests for books! The books for Class St.James Park have been delivered – so let’s wait and see what other class requests come this week 😄📚 #ReadingIsMagicFest pic.twitter.com/SAuvfvuDZh
— @charltonsch (@CharltonSch) September 28, 2020
At the moment there is no entry to the library – but our librarian’s carefully curated collection of books will be delivered via a box to our classrooms. #PictureBooks #SensoryBooks #Fiction #NonFiction #BooksToReadTogether #BooksToLoan #Autumn2020 pic.twitter.com/eoni6eOhkI
— @charltonsch (@CharltonSch) September 7, 2020
Storytimes Online
Monday | 1.10pm – Class Holborn
Wednesday | 11am – Class Piccadilly
Friday | 12.30pm – Class Angel
At the moment, if anyone would like an Online Team storytime (or an individual chat for recommendations) Caroline is available Monday and Friday mornings, from 10am and Wednesday afternoons.
Books for Topics
Text © Books for Topics
With access to libraries, classrooms and bookshops limited for many, we’ve been busy finding some of the best online storytimes for children to access freely at home. The QR codes and links in the document link to story readings on Youtube and all of the books we’ve chosen are read aloud by their fabulous authors and illustrators.
Link: www.booksfortopics.com
Caroline recommends: Library Book list.pdf

Tom Palmer reads chapter one of his children’s book, “D-Day Dog”, to his dog, Finn. Published by Barrington Stoke. Second World War KS2 History. Shortlisted for the 2020 Children’s Book Award.
Library News
February 2021
Free resources to download for Safer Internet Day:
Resources – Digi Duck
January 2021
Useful free resources for a range of subject:
Free Resources – Ruby Tuesday Books
British Library: Get creative with activities for children of all ages. Invent your own superhero, make a pop-up book and much more.
www.bl.uk/childrens-books
Winter Warmer Festival | From Saturday 9 January: Online activities from Half Moon Theatre for everyone to take part in at home. Storyteller Amari Harris conjures up two seasonal stories with a sprinkle of magic and an energetic snowball fight. Plus, see how to make a paper penguin, winter lantern and snowman bookmark.
www.halfmoon.org.uk/winterwarmerfestival
Home Learning Resources:
Online Book Resources
Online Book Resources For PMLD And ASD Sensory
The Book of Hopes was put together in the first lockdown and shared for free online before being available to buy in print, they took it off site last term but have made it freely available again during this lockdown. It includes new short stories, poems, illustrations, and extracts from existing books (my favourite bit is Catherine Johnson’s poem on page 6): literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/9-12/book-hopes
Caroline recommends: Library Book list.pdf
Tom Palmer has written a number of historical novels about both World Wars, he has done a series of YouTube (left) recordings of him reading one of them, D-Day Dog.
Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful is one of my favourite War novels, set in WW1 (you will cry buckets and rage at the injustices), the BBC has an abridged audio adaptation here: www.bbc.co.uk
The National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust have launched the Virtual School Library wordsforlife.org.uk/virtual-school-library with a different guest author or illustrator every week, a chance to read one of their books for free (sometimes an audio version) and download related activities.
Online Museums
National museum of the American Indian: americanindian.si.edu/online-resources/exhibition-websites

Books of the Month
JANUARY 2021
Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love has Julian and his cousin Marisol, in their fancy outfits after the wedding, exploring everywhere from underneath tables to enchanting willow trees to … muddy puddles? With ingenuity and heart, author-illustrator Jessica Love tells a charming story of friendship, acceptance and celebration.

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll is an own voices story of Addie, an autistic girl, campaigning to have a memorial built for those that were tried as witches in her town hundreds of years ago.

FEBRUARY 2021
The following are both published on 21 January: 2021
A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth and David Litchfield is a beautiful picture book for all ages, exploring the nature of sadness.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston is first in an epic middle grade supernatural adventure series, soon to be a major movie starring Marsai Martin. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Nevermoor and Men in Black! Amari Peters knows three things: Her big brother Quinton has gone missing. No one will talk about it. His mysterious job holds the secret. So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon.
Storytelling and Resources
Caroline our librarian recommends some fantastic website for families to enjoy while their children are home learning or at school.
Reading Black Lives Matter
- Zoe Tillotson, our English Advisory Teacher has compiled a reading list with titles that can be found in our library. Please remember to contact Caroline for any books as the library is no entry at the moment.
Over the last few months there has been significant media coverage of the Black Lives Matter campaign. This is a good time then, for those of us in education to reflect on our practice and ask ourselves how we can promote genuine inclusion, equality and be pro-actively anti-racist. One area that always demands scrutiny is the curriculum. What is absent and excluded sends a strong message. To that end, the English team at CPA have been creating a new English Curriculum and making sure it includes positive and diverse representations of young Black people by contemporary writers. Some of the books we have chosen to include are listed below. I hope you’ll be as excited as we are by the choices we’ve made.
Download reading list here: Black Lives Matter
Recommended Websites
Oxford Owl eBook library (phonics books) home.oxfordowl.co.uk/books/free-ebooks
The World Book Day website has lots of readings of books for a range of ages and interests www.worldbookday.com
BookTrust Hometime has new stuff added regularly www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/have-some-fun/open-the-hometime-cupboard
Phonics games:
Creative writing:
Authorfy masterclasses: authorfy.com/masterclasses
- Top Ten Storytimes 7-11 year olds.pdf
- Top Ten Storytimes to Enjoy.pdf
- Caroline’s Blog: teenlibrarian.co.uk
- Caroline reading Grobblechops!: www.youtube.com
- Caroline reading of A Bottle of Happiness by Pippa Goodhart and illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi: youtu.be
- National Shelf Service: www.youtube.com/channel
PODCASTS: This is a great selection of podcasts, aimed at Pathways 1 and 2 students, focusing on COVID-19 but they have different themed sets: slj.com
STORYTELLING
Tiny Owls: An independent, global publisher of beautiful multicultural picture books for EVERYONE! New videos every Friday. Tiny Owl stories: www.youtube.com/channel
Michael Rosen: Visit Michael Rosen’s websites for storytelling videos.
‘Here you will be able to read about me, my books and what I’m doing.’ – Michael Rosen
www.michaelrosen.co.uk/videos
Text © Lantana Publishing
Tomorrow: In this storytime video, Nadine Kaadan reads her book Tomorrow (2018), a moving and uplifting story about a little boy named Yazan wishing he could go outside and play. Nadine wrote this story to express what she saw happening around her in Damascus. But now we feel that children from all over the world may be feeling the same way as Yazan, forced to stay home during lockdown and longing to see their friends and even go back to school.
Link: Tomorrow | Youtube
Text © Oliver Jeffers
For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks due to COVID, I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it. We are all at home, but none of us are alone. Let’s be bored together. Watch LIVE on Oliver’s instagram (@oliverjeffers) at 7 PM GMT/ 2 PM EST. Link: www.oliverjeffers.com/abookaday
One Chapter a Day: Author and illustrator Tom Percival reading Attack of the Heebie Jeebies, one chapter a day. Link: www.youtube.com
Nosy Crow: While so many of us around the world are currently at home and staying inside with young children, we want to help – so we’ve put together lots of activities, resources, free Nosy Crow books and other content which we hope will help keep your families happy.
Resources to download link: nosycrow.com/free-resources
DRAW ALONGS
Sarah McIntyre: Silly sharks galore! Learn how to draw your own shark with the writer and illustrator of There’s a Shark in the Bath, and sing along with the shark song! Find more book-related activities at jabberworks.co.uk/theres-a-shark-in-the-bath. Link: www.youtube.com/channel
Rob Biddulph: Rob is an internationally bestselling and multi award-winning children’s author and illustrator. He is also the official World Book Day Illustrator for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Link: www.youtube.com/channel
Book Trust: Lots of lovely interactive books to read online or watch with signing
Link: www.booktrust.org.uk
Oxford owls: Loads of activities on Oxford Owls (including phonics books)
Link: home.oxfordowl.co.uk/school-closure-resources